OCR Text |
Show COVER STORY continued out of Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons. Save Our Canyons feared that political pressure brought to bear after Salt Lake City won the 2002 bid would allow massive, new facilities in the canyons. But the battle for Litthe Cottonwood Canyon has really been waged’ between Save Our Canyons and Snowbird. “We've had an ongoing battle with Snowbird,” Kelner acknowledged. “We still have concerns,” he said referring to Snowbird proposals to build a tram to the top of American Fork Twin Peaks, to annex White Pine Canyon and build a three-story building on the top of Hidden Peak, and to develop a huge condo project, among other things. “We are trying to save the canyons from too many people, from too many autos and WE policy had been amended. “For the first time, the regional forester announced that while the lift would be built, there would be no more piecemeal expansion on forest land without a master plan,” Lewis noted. “The “Alta is the exception. They wanted a ski of Save Our Canyons, was the “trade” of land at confrontation, volunteer members say _ they would rather not fight. Lewis explained that much of what Save Our Canyons does is to communicate public needs to various agencies. “There is a perception that environmental groups are so radical. But people in Save Our Canyons have been working in tandem Snow Basin to oil magnate Earl Holding. Following years of pressing the Forest Service resort for locals. In that sense we respect them very much. We aren't anti-skiing. Most of us are skiers,” Kelner said. Shock Waves Alta, Snowbird, Brighton and Solitude, as well as all other resorts in the Intermountain shock waves of Baby Thunder were felt LODGE Between Gln Canyon &¢ Nanural Badges on Scenic Highway 95. too many autos and too many written extensively for this publication. There was a real question whether Baby Thunder was part of the resort’s master plan. Save Our Canyons argued that the overall canyon environment could be impacted by another chairlift and the increased number of skiers and cars that would follow. The group pushed for more environmental analysis. That sent former Snowbird CEO Gardiner through the roof, because the lift already had been purchased. When the smoke cleared, Forest Service with people in the county (government) and the Forest Service to do something positive.” For example, Lewis cited the group’s work with Salt Lake County planners and commissioners to preserve access to hiking trails in the foothills of the Wasatch. “Working to downzone the foothills was a tremendous success,” Lewis noted. “Creeping development was threatening access, wildlife and scenic corridors. Trail access preservation was something many people wanted.” Neither residents nor local government saw foothill preservation as some sort of wildeyed environmental cause, Lewis remembered. “No one said, this is an environmental activity, but rather people living in a community wanted a place where you can go and walk or ride a bike and access nature.” MiIiCHETOFB Informing the public of issues surrounding the development of the mountains is key to success, Lewis said. It is only when the public and their elected and appointed officials are aware of what is going on that good decisions can be made. “Maybe Save Our Canyons can do noth- ing more than to sensitize the population to the issues of the urban forest,” Lewis said. “If we can produce publicity and provide a forum for people to talk, then the decisionmakers will have to listen. And if we do have cee development, hopefully it is mitigated so that we have preservation along with it.” a et a ON nr 10 * SEPTEMBER 1997 PAGE convinced Rep. Jim — Alexis Kelner Introducing... For centuries, brewmasters Holding “We are trying to save the canyons from too many people, member of Save Our Canyons, who also has EST. 1955 for the land, Hansen and Sen. Orrin Hatch to make the trade through legislation - giving him 1,320 acres of forest at the base of the Snow Basin ski resort he purchased in the late '80s. by the Forest Service, including Environmental Impact Statements. In some Interestingly, it came as fallout from an appeal the group put forward to the construction of the Baby Thunder lift at Snowbird, explained Steve Lewis, a long-time FRY CANYON have a lot more success.” Perhaps one of the most bitter defeats for across the Intermountain Region.” While Save Our Canyons isn’t afraid measure that has come about from pressure A country inn disguised as a classic desert outpost. Great food, charming guest rooms, gas, groceries, a pool table, and a patio— all in the quietest, most beautiful setting imaginable. A civilized base for explorations of Cedar Mesa, Grand Gulch, White Canyon, Dark Canyon, Elk Ridge and much more. (801)259-5334 explained, “If we had the same professionals to conduct a media campaign, we know wed area on US Forest Service land now must have master plans and development must proceed within those guidelines as outlined by Save Our Canyons. HISTORIC between your job and family obligations, while developers hire people full-time. It’s not a level playing field,” Berggren from too many condos. The prospect of having a shopping center on the top of Hidden Peak is abhorrent to me.” As Kelner blasts Snowbird for the attitudes of owner Dick Bass and former CEO Gardiner, he praises neighboring ski resort, Alta. have Unlevel Playing Field condos...” Hansen, Hatch and the Salt Lake Olympic Committee sold the idea to Congress on the basis that it was necessary for the Olympics. Holding later revealed plans for a massive real estate development on those former Forest Service lands. “Three things killed us on Snow Basin,” Berggren noted. “One was that the SLOC allowed its name to be used for a real estate development. Two, they were able to maneuver to get it in the omnibus bill, where literally hundreds of pieces of legislation were involved from almost every state in the country. And the third thing was the Grand Staircase hurt us at the very end. When we finally got the attention of the (Clinton) Administration, they said they couldn't appear to be hurting Utah twice in one month.” Still, Save Our Canyons is not giving up its watchdog role on Snow Basin. Presently, the group is making sure that the appraisal process by which lands are swapped is a good deal for the public. Berggren says that developments, like the massive one proposed by Earl Holding for Snow for Utah. Basin, are not necessarily good “We're becoming more like Puerto Rico. Rich People are coming here from all over and playing on our mountains, while we do the service work for them. The destination skiers are the dominant users. We think its wrong that just for a few months of the year, they create préssures for big developments.” Twenty five years after Alexis Kelner, Gale But volunteer efforts aimed at preserva- . Dick and Floyd Sweat started Save Our tion and conservation can be frustrating, if Canyons, the organization appears to be going strong. Save Our Canyons now pub- used honey to enhance the naturally sweet flavor of beer. Following this tradition, Michelob Honey Lager combines the finest barley malts and specially blended hops with a touch of honey to produce a full-bodied, slightly sweet taste and deep golden color. sometimes successful. Tom Berggren, a local attorney and Save Our Canyons volunteer notes that victories are difficult and time consuming. “Tt can be frustrating when you know how much time it’s going to take in order to do a proper job. It’s all on a volunteer-basis Anderson Audio Inc. PRO'AUDIO SALES AND SERVICES a Michelob Honey Lager, one of the Michelob Specialty Ales and Lagers fe foe BE fo. jc. yy lishes a quarterly news letter and has its own web site (www.saveourcanyons.org). “We went from a small cadre of activists to a significant membership organization in just the last year, or so,” Berggren said. “We are now more of a membership-based orga- nization. To the extent that some of the more outrageous proposals come to the fore, that will only help us.” Anyone interested in learning more about Save Our Canyons, can write to Citizens Committee to Save Our Canyons, P.O. Box 1.800.FOR.KLAY 58671, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84158-0671. @ Editor's note: Founding member Gale Dick is still active in Save Our Canyons. However, he was in the Grand Canyon and could not be reached during the writing of this story. . ©1997, Anheuser-Busch; |nc., Specialty Brewing Group, Brewers of Michelob® Honey Lager, St. Louis, MO { |